Should You Quit Your Job? Why I Did.

I actually stuck it out for a year and a half to avoid this very topic of Quitting Before 1 Year.

In this article, O'Donnell advises the employee/job searcher to not focus on the faults of the company she wants to leave, during an interview, but where she wants to go. Taking a blurb from her script, O'Donnell suggests saying something like, 'I want to move to a company where I can take my skills and abilities to the next level and create even more value for my employer.' I couldn't agree more with this statement, or the approach to any life issue for that matter.



The ensuing comments were mixed.

Negative:

'MORE THAN EVERYTHING ELSE: how can someone with an entry level job, staying less than 1 year be able to judge so firmly the mangement?'

Realistic:

'Even if you leave after 2 years you will be judged, so it does not really matter if you stay 12 months or 25. Most employers even question people for leaving their jobs after 5+ years.'

HealthButJuicily Positive:

This person wants to leave an entry-level job, she wants to leave because she wants better pay and less disorganized management. Those are good reasons. To explain why she wants to leave, she doesn't need to criticize the job she's in. Instead she can spin it into a complement for the company she's interviewing with. For example, she could say, "I thrive in environments where there is organizational clarity, strong leadership, and opportunity to build on my skill sets. That's why I'm interested in working at company XYZ." The interviewer should be able to pick up on the frustrations she's having with management's disorganization. She doesn't have to say she wants more money, that will come up in salary negotiations.

Another posted the questions below as an assessment. Following are my answers after a year (same 6 months later).

There are a couple of things to consider when leaving a job in under a year:
1. Do you really know the job? Yes.
2. Is the new job really a better opportunity? I hope so.
3. Have you talked to your manager or peers about what's really bothering you? Yes.
4. Have you given the job enough of a chance? Yes.

I can answer these questions with conviction and that's why I know my personal move was the right one for me. Ideally, of course, I would have preferred to have something lined up but sometimes you just have to take a risk and believe in yourself.

I think the valuable discussion comes down to knowing what's right for YOU— no one but you can know what that is or should have the right to judge for you. (They might feel that they do and express it without asking, but those people don't deserve your time, attention, or bother.)

I write this in hopes to help those out there struggling with this same or similar issue, perhaps including myself.

I will eat dirt for my daughter if I have to but is it so impossible for a person such as myself— equipped with two degrees from an Ivy League institution, with drive, ambition, intelligence, and heart— to do something more than make coffee, stock the fridge, and set up meetings? Maybe, in which case, I will return to Administration. In the meanwhile, I strive for more.

What's worse, I think, is to drain your energy and let yourself be undervalued by perpetuating stagnancy and under-utilization of your potential. Yes, there is value in everything but there is also a point where you (or I) have to say enough is enough, follow your heart, and pursue your dream.



What are your thoughts? Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo